


This is Everything

by ChillieBean



Series: GERF Collection [8]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Overwatch's Golden Age, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Young Ana Amari, Young Reinhardt Wilhelm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 08:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22332769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillieBean/pseuds/ChillieBean
Summary: Ultimately, Reinhardt knows, in his heart of hearts, why he’s so nervous—he’s developed feelings for Ana. Her smile brightens his day, her witty humour leaves him smiling long after she’s told a joke. He realised he was in love with her on the last mission they were on together. She got injured, he wanted to tell her there and then, but he held back—it wasn’t the right time.And he’s sat on those feelings since then.
Relationships: Ana Amari/Reinhardt Wilhelm
Series: GERF Collection [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590361
Comments: 20
Kudos: 48





	This is Everything

**Author's Note:**

> For Dee.
> 
> Prompt: Something nice and sweet where Reinhardt is a big sweetheart.

Reinhardt exhales, long and slow, in an effort to calm his frayed nerves. 

It’s silly that even now, after the last year of doing _this_ , that it still makes him nervous. 

The table in the back corner of the cafeteria— _their_ table—is neatly dressed. The scratched wooden tabletop is covered in a burgundy tablecloth, two plates sit in front of the chairs, a knife and fork on either side. In the centre is a small vase containing a single red chrysanthemum. Ana’s favourite. 

Dinner is cooking away on the stove. He chose mahshi after perfecting the recipe in the month Ana has been away. It involved many test runs, stuffing capsicum, zucchini and tomato with a tried and true recipe before eventually settling on eggplant. From there, he tested different recipes until he deemed one worthy. 

Tonight's meal is completely vegetarian, something he too will be sticking with. Usually, he cooks himself a meat variant because vegetables alone aren't enough to fill him up. But he did pick oversized eggplants, and he knows that none of it will go to waste—Ana usually returns from missions famished and well, he’s got a bottomless pit for a stomach. 

And if that doesn't fill him up, the beer certainly will. It’s there and waiting in the fridge, his favourite lager from home that she has taken to. 

Now all he needs to do is wait for Ana to arrive. 

He paces up and down, glancing around the mess hall. Of course, it’s bustling with the dinner rush—the small space fills with the quiet murmur of conservation and the gentle scrape of cutlery against ceramic. Unfortunately, he has to make do; there’s nowhere else on base that they can go where he’ll have access to a stovetop and privacy. 

Everyone on base has grown used to it; they cook for each other upon the end of a mission. Even the kitchen staff give him a bench and anything he needs to prepare without questioning it anymore. 

Sighing again, he wipes his clammy hands on his pants. His clothes feel damp, he's sure he's got giant two sweat patches under his arms, and he would shower and change if he could. Again, that is; he got ready for this evening just one short hour ago. 

Ultimately, he knows, in his heart of hearts, why he’s so nervous—he’s developed feelings for Ana. Her smile brightens his day, her witty humour leaves him smiling _long_ after she’s told a joke. He realised he was in love with her on the last mission they were on together. She got injured, he wanted to tell her there and then, but he held back—it wasn’t the right time.

And he’s sat on those feelings since then. He’s not entirely sure if she is ready for any kind of commitment, not with Fareeha being so young. Her plate is full keeping a tight work-life balance, being present in Fareeha’s life while being on active duty. Add a boyfriend into the mix and it could disrupt that equilibrium. 

That’s where Ana is right now—catching up with Fareeha, tucking her into bed. Ana’s good mother and Fareeha is the best five-year-old he’s had the pleasure of babysitting. 

He hopes that one day Ana will be ready for a relationship. And until that day, he’ll wait. 

Reinhardt checks the time on his watch, and Ana should be here at any moment. He gives the table one last look down, reaches out with one trembling hand to adjust the knife and knocks it into the plate. Taking a slow, deep breath, he adjusts it, getting it perfect on the third try. 

Content, he glances at the door and his heart skips a beat. Ana is looking at him, smiling softly. She may be dressed in her uniform but she’s beautiful, especially with her braided hair draped over one shoulder. 

Reinhardt stands there, frozen, unsure if he should greet her at the door or wait for her to approach. She’s never been one to take to those grandiose gestures of chivalry. Then there's also the fact that he’s shaking like a leaf. She would _definitely_ feel it and would _absolutely_ mention it. 

She steps into the mess hall, and Reinhardt breathes a sigh of relief. Her smile grows wider as she approaches, she outstretches her arms and Reinhardt does the same, embracing her. 

“Welcome home,” he says. 

“Thank you.” Ana pulls away, looking up at him. “It’s good to be home.”

“Please,” Reinhardt says, pulling out her chair. “Sit, get comfortable.”

She smiles as she drops into the seat. “Thank you,” she says again, looking up at him. 

“Would you like a drink? Beer or water, or whatever you want. I will get it for you.”

“I’ll just have whatever you’re having.”

“Okay.” Reinhardt gives her a nod and heads into the kitchen. He silently scolds himself for rambling, it's his tell that he's nervous. She’s surely noticed it, she likes to point it out whenever it happens on a mission. 

Taking a series of long, deep breaths in an effort to regain some semblance of control, he checks dinner then grabs the two beers out of the fridge, popping the caps and tossing them in the trash. He closes his eyes and tells himself this is like any other dinner they’ve had, that there is nothing to be nervous about.

With a final, affirmative nod, he heads back out, ensuring he is confident in his movements. He hands Ana her beer, sits in his seat, looks at her and smiles. 

That smile is still on her lips, and he wonders if it ever dropped. He loves her smile—it’s all in her eyes that crinkle in the corners and sparkle in the light. 

Clearing his throat, a means to physically stop himself from getting lost in her eyes, he holds out his bottle. “To a successful mission,” he says.

Ana nods, clinking her bottle against his. He takes a short pull, places it on the table and watches as she pulls something from her pocket.

“Armenia sends its regards,” she says, handing over the square item. 

Reinhardt huffs a laugh as he takes the coaster. This is another tradition of theirs—she brings him back coasters, he gives her magnets. The only condition is that they have to be purchased from a tourist shop, and the tackier the better. This one ticks that box, it’s got the word ‘LOVE’ written in big blocky letters, but the ‘O’ is the country itself decorated in the colours of the flag. 

“Thank you,” Reinhardt says. “I will proudly display it in my room.”

“What is the count at now?”

“This would make number twenty-eight.” Reinhardt smiles. “Thank you for helping build my collection.”

“You’re welcome,” Ana replies, resting her head in her hand. 

Reinhardt’s eyes flit to her hand sitting on the table. It would be easy, so, _so_ easy to slide his hand across and take hers in his own. His fingers twitch at the mere thought of it, his stomach flutters fiercely. 

But, he doesn’t move.

If they’d been alone, he’d do it. It’s a perfect opportunity to show her how he feels. But with an audience? No, this is something that needs to be private.

The alarm on his watch goes off, and he pulls his hand into his lap. “That would be dinner,” he says, switching it off. “I’ll just be a moment.”

Ana smiles and nods, and Reinhardt heads to the kitchen. He scolds himself again for hesitating, for telling himself that hand holding is so scandalous that he _shouldn’t_ do it, when in fact he has taken her hand in the training range and the gym so many times he couldn't even count them. 

As he serves up dinner, he reassures himself that there will be another opportunity to show her how he feels, something better than a quick brush of their fingers. Something they can savour and enjoy without the worry of anyone else around them. 

Looking at both immaculately presented dishes, he nods. Perhaps after dinner, they can find somewhere private. With renewed determination, he carries them out, placing one in front of Ana. 

“For this evening we have mahshi.” Reinhardt places his on the table and sits, watching Ana analyse the meal. 

“Reinhardt,” she breathes, looking up. “This is wonderful.”

“Taste it. I had plenty of time to practice while you were away.” He chuckles nervously, hoping it tastes as good as the previous attempts.

Ana takes a bite and he holds his breath, and when she closes her eyes and hums, he lets it out in a rush. “Oh, Reinhardt, this is delicious. Just like my mother makes.”

“That’s…” Reinhardt swallows the sudden lump in his throat, he dips his head slightly to hide the blush that must be evident on his cheeks. “That’s quite the compliment. Thank you.”

“You’ve always been an amazing cook,” she says, reaching out and taking his hand. Time slows to a crawl as she strokes his knuckles with her thumb, but at the same time, it’s over too quick for his liking as she pulls away to eat. 

Reinhardt feels like he’s glowing as red as a tomato and he’s powerless to stop it. Thankfully, Ana is too absorbed in dinner to notice, eating with little hums and nods of approval. He turns his attention back to his dinner and they eat in silence. There isn't much to talk about that hasn't been discussed, and the mission was classified. Honestly, they don’t _need_ to speak, just having this company—seeing her after this long apart—is enough. 

“That was delicious,” Ana says, sitting back in her seat. “You really have a knack for it.”

“It has become a favourite past time." 

“It shows.” Ana stands up. “Come for a walk with me?”

With a nod, Reinhardt stands, following Ana to the door leading outside. He cannot help but smile as the lingering hints of heat from the summer sun warm his face and shoulders. 

Walking in step with Ana, they follow the path that leads to the cliff’s edge. The ocean roars below, waves crash against the rocks. She sits on the grass, legs crossed, and Reinhardt settles beside her. 

“Fareeha told me a lovely story about how you had a tea party with her.”

Reinhardt shrugs sheepishly. “If a child hands you a teacup, you take a sip.”

“You’re good with her,” Ana murmurs, so quiet Reinhardt almost misses it. She stares in the middle distance for a moment, huffs a laugh, then turns to face him. “You’re good to both of us.” 

“I enjoy your company. Both of your company.” Reinhardt feels his heart hammering in his chest again as he looks into Ana’s eyes. They’re alone, this is the time to make a move, tell her how he feels. 

It seems she has the same idea, her hand gently grazes against his. 

“I enjoy yours too,” Ana breathes. 

Reinhardt glances down when she links their little fingers together, and when he looks back up, Ana is smiling warmly. He’s sure his heart skips a beat—seeing her bathed in the glow of the setting sun, hair shining and eyes sparkling—he’s sure he hasn’t seen a more beautiful sight. 

“And,” she says, her smile grows wider. “I want to kiss you.”

Those butterflies in Reinhardt’s stomach go into overdrive, so much so that he’s sure he could float away. He positively beams, it’s probably over-eager but he doesn’t care. “I want to kiss you too.” 

Ana sits up on her knees, Reinhardt ducks down to meet her height. Despite it being announced, they move slowly, taking their time. Right now, Reinhardt doesn’t have a single care about the outside world, the only thing that matters is Ana in front of him. 

Ana’s eyes drop to his lips, and he sucks in a breath when her hand cups his face. She’s close now, so close that her nose brushes against his cheek. He closes his eyes as her lips press against his softly.

The sound of the ocean falls into white noise. He takes her hand in his, cups the back of her head and utterly _melts_ into the kiss. This is what he was craving all this time, taking the next step in their friendship to something more. 

Ana presses one last kiss to the corner of Reinhardt’s mouth and pulls away, utterly grinning. She doesn’t say anything, not as she turns to rest against him, not as he wraps an arm around her waist, keeping her close.

They watch the final moments of sunset, and right now, this is everything. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Mahshi!](https://amiraspantry.com/rice-stuffed-veggies-aka-mahshi/)
> 
> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BeanChillie) and [PillowFort!](https://www.pillowfort.social/ChillieBean) Come say hi!


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